The Purest Angel
by GoldGuardian2418
Summary: An eighteen-year-old girl appears on Inkwell Isles, but has amnesia, thanks to an accident. But worst of all, the monster is after her. Can the inhabitants of Inkwell Isles help her? SpecterxOC story. :)
1. The Girl

**This idea came to me a long time back and I just had to do it. :) **

**Cuphead belongs to Studio MDHR. I only own Angel. **

**This is my first Cuphead chapter story, so please be gentle in the reviews. Also, this will be a SpecterxOC story, since I just love that ghost. :)**

* * *

**The Purest Angel**

**Chapter 1: The Girl **

The night was quiet until bubbles began coming to the surface of the ocean in a spot that was quite a ways from the shore. Suddenly, with a force equal to a jack-in-the-box, a figure shot to the surface of the water, gasping and coughing. It was a girl who had black hair that was to her shoulders and golden brown eyes that gazed around at her surroundings. She suddenly felt there was danger and began swimming desperately toward the shore. Seeing a dock that jutted out from the shore, she turned her direction and swam for it, reaching it moments later and latching onto a post, using it as leverage as she grabbed onto the nearest plank, not caring that the wood cut into her hand. Gripping it, she pulled herself up, feeling the some splinters poke her hands, but she managed to get out of the water. Kneeling on the dock, she coughed, spitting up some water. Breathing hard, she looked at her hand, pulling out a couple of splinters before gazing out at the horizon, not seeing anything and she began to wonder why she had been in the water.

Shaking her head, she managed to get up on wobbly legs and began moving, sensing a feeling of danger again and she began moving quickly, finding herself walking on a small strip of sand before hitting grass and with each step, she seemed to get a bit stronger. She glanced around, a full moon giving her enough light to see by and it wasn't long before she found a cave. "Good," she said with a nod, going in. Her eyes adjusted to the dark and she found it was empty, a perfect spot to recover from whatever ordeal had made her end up in the water. She was also thankful that it was warm, so she wouldn't get sick from being in the water. She felt something around her neck and looked to find it was a necklace that had a heart for a pendant and on the heart was a cross of small white gems. She pressed it to her own heart, feeling a bit better.

What she didn't know was that her necklace was currently helping her stay hidden from someone who was hunting for her.

King Dice stayed hidden, as did Mangosteen. "You're certain you saw someone come out of the water?" He asked the eight ball.

"Yes," the mini-boss said, nodding. "She just popped out of the water like she had been swimming underneath it for a while. She was gasping for air."

"Maybe she fell off a ship?" Dice guessed.

"Don't know, but she looked a bit lost."

They suddenly hunkered down as the monster came out, his yellow eyes looking around and he growled. "Where is she?" He asked no one in particular before moving past the cave, having no idea that was where she was.

Waiting until it was clear, King Dice unleashed a few of his card minions. "Watch that cave," he said. "Mangosteen, we need to call Elder Kettle."

"But it's in the middle of the night," the magic eight ball said. "We may wake up the boys."

"You're right," the casino owner said. "Alright, I'll call him in the morning."

They left, hoping the monster wouldn't find the girl.

* * *

_The next morning..._

Elder Kettle had just finished his morning cup of tea and the boys had just finished eating breakfast when a knock came at the door and Mugman answered it to find Hopus Pocus, who looked to be out of breath. "Mugman, get your brother and guardian," the rabbit magician said urgently.

"What's going on, Hopus?" The blue mug asked.

King Dice appeared suddenly, making the boy jump. "Sorry, Mugman," the casino owner said, looking contrite. "But this is a matter of some urgency."

"What is it?" Elder Kettle asked.

"Is there trouble?" Cuphead asked.

"Yes," King Dice said. "The monster has come back and this time, he's after someone."

"Who?" Mugman asked.

"A girl Mangosteen said popped out of the ocean."

"Cala Maria?" Cuphead asked.

"No," Dice said gently. "A young girl with black hair and golden brown eyes. She looks human."

Elder Kettle stiffened a little. "There hasn't been a human on Inkwell Isles for years," he said.

"Was she shipwrecked?" Mugman asked.

"We didn't see any debris indicating that," King Dice said. "But that monster was hunting for her. My card minions have been watching the cave where she's hiding in since the middle of last night."

"Then we have to find her," Cuphead said. "If that monster's after her, then she's in danger."

"Cuphead's right," Mugman said.

Specter and Cagney Carnation came up the sidewalk. "What's this about a girl being shipwrecked?" The flower asked.

"And the monster being after her?" Specter asked.

Dice looked at them. "Follow me, all of you," he said as he led the way, Hopus disappearing back to the casino.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the small strip of beach and Dice picked up his card minions, who told him that the girl was still in the cave. "She's still in there," he said, pointing to the cave.

Specter approached the cave and he gazed in. "Hello?" He called out gently.

Hearing the unfamiliar voice, the girl woke up with a gasp, having fallen asleep not long after settling down in the cave. She stood up, gripping the pendant on her necklace. "Who's there?" She asked, her voice full of fear.

The inhabitants looked at each other worriedly and Cagney decided to try and coax the girl out. "We're some of the inhabitants of Inkwell Isles," he said.

"Inkwell Isles? Is that what this place is?"

Elder Kettle decided to speak up. "Yes," he said. "Are you injured? Mangosteen and King Dice saw you last night when you appeared out of the water."

The girl moved backwards into her cave, unsure now. "Who are you all?" She asked. "What do you want with me?"

"We just want to be sure you are not hurt," Specter said, his voice soothing. "Will you please come out? We won't hurt you."

They heard shuffling, but didn't see her. Cagney gave Specter an encouraging nod, indicating he should go in and see about coaxing the girl out. The blue ghost nodded and entered the cave, instantly seeing the girl, who looked at him with wide eyes and she curled into a ball, looking up at him fearfully. He gave her a gentle smile. "Hello," he said warmly.

The girl looked at him and blinked, recognizing him to be the first one that had called out to her. "Who are you?" She asked, looking at him warily.

He smiled again. "I'm Blind Specter, but my friends call me Specter," he said.

She still looked wary. "Are you...a ghost?" She asked.

His smile fell a bit. "Yes," he said hesitantly. "But I won't hurt you."

She looked at him and cocked her head to the side. "You don't look like a bad ghost," she said.

He smiled again, seeing that she seemed a little less wary now. He held out a hand, his two yellow eyeballs floating around him. "Will you come out?" He asked gently. "I promise none of us will hurt you."

She looked at his hand before taking a deep breath and, with just a little bit of hesitation, placed her hand in his and he led her out of the cave. She squinted against the bright sunlight until her eyes adjusted and she looked around, her eyes widening as she saw a cup, a mug, a kettle, a man with a dice for a head, and a orange flower looking at her. Swallowing, she stepped back, hiding behind the blue ghost, who smiled gently. "It's alright," he said gently.

"Are you alright, young one?" The kettle asked.

She seemed to relax at hearing his voice. "Yes," she said, though they could tell she was a bit wary. "Who are you?"

"I'm Cuphead," Cuphead said, smiling at her and gesturing to the others. "Those are Cagney, King Dice, and Specter, our uncles, Mugman, my brother, and Elder Kettle, our guardian."

"What's your name?" Cagney asked curiously.

The black-haired girl looked at him before looking down, her expression one of being lost. "I...I don't know," she said. "I...I don't think I have a name."

King Dice approached her and she flinched a little, but he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder before his hand brushed over her head. "Well, you don't seem to have a concussion, but it sounds like you might have amnesia."

Mugman looked thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe we can give her a name," he said. "How about Angel?"

"Angel?" Elder Kettle asked.

"Yeah," the blue mug said, blushing a little. "Cause it's a pretty name and she's pretty."

The others had to smile at the mug's cuteness and the girl smiled too, finding it sweet. "Angel," Cagney said thoughtfully before nodding. "She does look like an Angel."

"I agree," King Dice said.

"I think it suits her," Specter said before looking at her. "What do you think?"

"Angel," she said, thinking on it for a bit before smiling and nodding. "I like it. It feels...right."

"Then Angel it is," Cuphead said with a smile.

Elder Kettle smiled. "Welcome to Inkwell Isles, Angel," he said before looking at the others. "Come, let's get back to the house. I believe Angel could use a nice cup of tea."

That was met with agreement and the newly-dubbed Angel followed them, smiling at them as she felt safe, though she did wonder why she had felt like she was in danger the night before. A hand gently touched hers and she looked to see it was Specter and he looked at her. "Are you feeling alright?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yes, thank you," she said, smiling at him. He smiled back as they continued following the others back to Elder Kettle's home.

* * *

**Hmm. What happened that Angel can't remember who she is? And why is the monster after her? Stay tuned to find out. :) **

**And please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


	2. Flashbacks

**Chapter 2: Flashbacks **

A couple days had passed since Angel had arrived on Inkwell Isles and she had actually settled in well with Elder Kettle and the boys, the kind kettle giving her some new clothes as the ones she had been in when she arrived had been old and tattered. Wearing a yellow t-shirt over a long-sleeved purple shirt, purple jeans, and black sneakers, she gazed out the window to see the sun shining and she smiled as she watched Cuphead and Mugman playing soccer in the front yard. As she turned away, she paused, a memory coming to her.

She had been playing soccer with someone, but she couldn't figure out who the other person was. The memory then left and she shook her head. "What was that?" She asked herself before going to find Elder Kettle, smoothing down her light brown hair as it flowed down to the middle of her back.

Another memory hit her, making her pause again as she saw an old man laying in bed and he was looking at her. _"You must go, my dear. Leave before it's too late," _he said to her. _"Don't let him find you. Your necklace will protect you. Never take it off." _

As the memory ended, she gasped, now starting to get a bit frightened as the memories were confusing and she couldn't understand why she was getting them. She quickly moved to find Elder Kettle, who was washing the dishes and turned when Angel came rushing in, a look of fear on her face. "Angel, what's wrong?" He asked, drying his hands. "Are you alright?"

She looked at him. "I...I don't know," she said. "I...I can't understand why I'm seeing things."

Seeing she was distraught, Elder Kettle gently took her arm and guided her to the couch, gently pushing down on her shoulder so that she sat down and he sat down beside her. "What did you see?" He asked gently.

She looked at him. "When I was watching the boys play soccer, I saw myself playing soccer with someone who seems familiar, but I don't know," she said. "And then, when I was coming to find you, I saw an old man laying in bed and he was telling me I had to go. I have to leave before it was too late." She paused. "He then said 'Don't let him find you. Your necklace will protect you. Never take it off'."

Elder Kettle grew curious. "Your necklace?" He asked.

Angel reached for the chain that was around her neck, gently pulling the pendant out from its hiding spot. The kettle gazed at it with wonder. "A heart with a cross on it and the cross is made of gems," he said.

She nodded. "That night when I felt there was danger and I found the cave, I held this close to me and I felt safer," she said.

Elder Kettle examined it closely. "Hmm, I don't sense any magic infused with it or anything out of the ordinary," he said. "Do you know who gave it to you?"

She sat upright as another memory hit her and she took a sharp intake of breath. The kettle waited patiently until the girl blinked and shook her head before looking at him. "I think...I think it was the old man in the bed I saw earlier," she said. "I...I just saw him give me the necklace, but I was younger."

He nodded. "It sounds like you are having flashbacks," he said.

"Flashbacks?"

"Memories that come to your mind when you either see, hear, smell, taste, or feel something."

A knock at the door caught their attention and they got up to answer it, finding King Dice standing there and he held the boys in his arms while both were giggling. "Do these little ones belong to you?" The casino owner asked with a chuckle.

"Why yes, they do," Elder Kettle said, also chuckling.

Angel realized that the two were being playful and she smiled before looking at the boys and then at King Dice. "And what are you going to do about it?" She asked, feeling playful.

He smirked. "I'm thinking I might kidnap them," he said with a wink, making the boys giggle harder and Elder Kettle and Angel chuckle.

"Actually, I'm glad you're here, Dice," Elder Kettle said. "I had some questions for you."

"Of course, Elder," the casino owner said, setting the two giggling boys down and the two ran to Angel, who smiled and picked them up, hugging them as they hugged her.

"Angel, come play with us, please?" Mugman asked.

"We were about to play hide-and-seek," Cuphead said.

Angel smiled. "Now that's one game I remember how to play," she said. "Alright."

"Don't go beyond the backyard or front yard," Elder Kettle cautioned.

"We won't," Mugman promised.

As the three headed outside, Elder turned to King Dice. "Angel has been getting flashbacks," he said. "She says someone she knew gave her the necklace she wears and told her it would protect her."

The casino owner listened carefully. "Does it have magic infused with it?" He asked.

"I checked and it doesn't. It's a heart with a cross on it and the cross is made from gems. She said she felt safe when she got to the cave we found her in."

"A cross," King Dice repeated thoughtfully. "You know, the monster is hunting for her and he couldn't find her when she was in that cave. He actually walked right past it."

Elder Kettle sat up more. "Do you think the cross on her necklace has something to do with that?" He asked.

"The monster does hate crosses with a vengeance because it can not only hurt him, but can block him from getting to someone wearing them," the casino owner said. "Which is how he was able to make everyone go into debt with him. The only way he could find Angel or get near her is if she lets him."

"I doubt she would do that," the kettle said. "You saw how afraid she was when Specter coaxed her out of that cave."

"Yes, like she wasn't sure if we were dangerous or not."

Both fell quiet for a bit before King Dice took a deep breath. "I need to talk to Angel," he said. "It's possible she has something that the monster wants."

Both adults headed outside and found Angel on the ground laughing as Mugman and Cuphead were in her arms and both were laughing too. The two adults smiled at this and watched the eighteen-year-old girl get up and lift the boys up into her arms. "You two picked some good hiding spots," she said.

"And you're a good seeker," Cuphead said.

A gentle throat clearing made them look up to see King Dice and Elder Kettle coming up to them. "Angel, forgive me if this is rather blunt, but I have a feeling that if the monster is after you, you must have something he wants," the casino owner said to her.

Angel looked thoughtful before shrugging. "I don't know what I'd have that he'd want," she said. "I still have no memories, though I've been getting flashbacks lately."

King Dice nodded. "I think it might be best if someone stays by you at all times to protect you until we can figure this out," he said.

"Why would that monster come back after we kicked him off the Isles?" Mugman asked.

"I don't know, kiddo, but if he's after Angel, I beginning to wonder if he's the reason she ended up in the water when she first arrived here."

Angel looked horrified. "You mean...he might have caused an accident that gave me amnesia but I somehow got away?" She asked.

"That could be a possibility," the casino owner said with a nod, placing a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. "Don't worry, though. He won't get you with us around."

"True," Elder Kettle said. "Angel, I agree with Dice about someone staying by you until you're out of danger."

"I agree too," she said. "I feel safe here with you and the boys, Elder."

"And you're like one of the family to us," Cuphead said.

"Yeah," Mugman said before looking sheepish. "Cups and I just can't decide if you're like a sister or aunt to us."

Angel smiled at them before she stiffened, another flashback coming to her of someone calling her their aunt. She shook her head rapidly and it faded. "Angel, what is it?" King Dice asked in concern.

She looked confused before shrugging. "I...I had a flashback when Mugman said 'aunt'."

"Could it be you have nieces or nephews somewhere?" Elder Kettle asked.

"I don't know," Angel said before shaking her head. "No, I don't think so. I think...it was a child I knew. Maybe I was close to the family and their child saw me as an aunt."

"Maybe they're looking for you," Cuphead said.

"I don't know, Cuphead," she said before feeling sad and another flashback occurred and she saw a grave with a name on it, but she couldn't make it out. "No, I don't think they are. There's a grave. I can't see the name on it, but...I feel a deep loss."

Elder Kettle looked saddened. "That is sad," he said.

King Dice bowed his head in respect. "If you feel a deep loss at seeing that, it's possible that the grave belongs to someone you were very close to," he said gently.

The boys hugged Angel. "We're here," Mugman said to her in comfort.

She smiled gently at them and hugged them again before taking a deep breath. "Maybe one day these flashbacks will make sense," she said. "But until then, we need to stay alert."

The boys and the two men nodded in agreement as unseen by them, the cross on Angel's necklace flashed lightly.

* * *

**Hmm, looks like Angel has more questions than answers, huh? Next up: Angel discovers a fear that she didn't know she had. **

**Please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


	3. Babysitting

**Chapter 3: Babysitting **

Elder Kettle looked outside and smiled as he saw the boys playing outside and turned to find Angel coming downstairs, a book in her hands. "Thank you for letting me borrow this book, Elder," she said, her green eyes sparkling. "I enjoyed it."

"You finished it already?" He asked with a smile.

"I had a hard time putting it down," she admitted a bit sheepishly.

He chuckled in amusement. "You must have read a lot before coming here," he said.

She nodded. "I think I did," she said. "I felt happy when I was reading."

The kettle smiled. "You may borrow any of the books in my library whenever you wish," he said.

She smiled. "Thank you," she said gratefully.

Cuphead and Mugman came in from outside, holding some mail. "The mail came, Elder," the latter said.

"Ah, thank you, boys," Elder Kettle said before seeing a note and he opened it to see it was about a meeting and he nodded. "Boys, I have to attend a meeting in town. Angel, would you take the boys to Cagney and Specter's home and would you be willing to watch over the boys too?"

"Sure, Elder," the eighteen-year-old said.

The kettle looked at the boys. "Now you two behave and mind your uncles and Angel," he said.

"We will, Elder," Cuphead promised as Mugman nodded.

Soon, the boys and Angel were walking down the path. "So where do Cagney and Specter live?" The girl asked.

"Just down this way," Mugman said before seeing the flower and ghost outside. "There they are!"

"Uncle Cagney! Uncle Specter!" Cuphead called out as he and his brother ran down the path while Angel walked while still walking.

Cagney turned and smiled as he caught the boys when they glomped him, all three laughing as Specter chuckled and helped them up. Angel smiled as she arrived and the ghost smiled at her. "Hello, Angel," he greeted her.

"Hello, Specter. Hello, Cagney," she said.

"Ah, good morning, Angel," the flower said with a smile. "What brings you and the boys here today?"

"Elder Kettle had a meeting," Mugman said.

"So he sent us here," Cuphead said.

Specter chuckled. "Well, we were wondering what to do today," he said. "Looks like it's babysitting out favorite nephews."

Cagney smiled and looked at Angel. "How are you settling in?" He asked.

"Pretty good," she said. "Elder Kettle's been very kind to me."

Cuphead and Mugman suddenly raced away and Specter chased after them, chuckling. The flower and young woman chuckled at that. "And the boys are just cute as buttons," the girl continued. "They've been helping me settle in too."

Cagney smiled. "How's your memory?" He asked gently.

Angel shrugged. "I've been getting flashbacks, but that's about it," she admitted. "I wish they made sense though."

"They will," he said reassuringly.

"Hey, look!" They heard and looked up to see Mugman pointed excitedly down the path. "It's Uncle Djimmi and Uncle Beppi!"

"Who?" Angel asked.

"They work at the fairgrounds," Cagney said helpfully. "The orange one is Djimmi and the blue and red one is Beppi."

The girl turned to look down the path and when she saw Beppi, her eyes went wide and she stiffened before letting out a scream of horror and turning heel, running down the path as fast as she could go.

Cuphead had grabbed Beppi's hand and began pulling him over to Angel and Cagney looked just in time to see the girl start running after she screamed. The boys blinked in surprise while Specter, wondering what had spooked the girl, took off after her and Cagney looked over at Djimmi and Beppi, shrugging in confusion.

"What scared Angel?" Cuphead asked curiously.

"I don't know, Cuphead," the flower said. "Nothing was near us that could have scared her."

"Hmm," Djimmi hummed thoughtfully before remembering something. "When she looked at Beppi, she seemed to become terrified."

"But why?" Beppi asked. "I haven't ever seen her before."

They couldn't answer him.

Specter had meanwhile found Angel and went up to her. She gasped in fear, but then relaxed upon seeing it was just him. "Oh, Specter," she said.

"Angel, are you alright?" He asked in concern. "What scared you?"

She looked down and away before looking back at him. "Specter, can you be absolutely honest with me?" She asked.

"Of course," he said to her.

"Is Beppi...a clown?"

The ghost was beginning to see what had spooked the girl. "Yes, he is," he said gently. "Are...Are you afraid of clowns?"

Angel looked confused. "I...I don't know," she said. "But...when I saw him, I just felt...terrified."

Specter felt bad for the girl and his arms slowly came around her, holding her as she reached out and hung onto him. "How can I be scared if I don't remember being scared of clowns?" She asked.

"I'm not sure," he admitted before picking her up. "Come, we should get back."

As they were heading back, Angel did calm down, but hid behind the ghost when she saw Beppi, feeling terrified of him again.

Beppi saw this and felt saddened that the girl was so scared. Holding up his hands in a placating gesture, he backed up to show that he respected her fear and wouldn't approach her. He hoped it would help with her fear a little.

"Angel, are you okay?" Mugman asked in worry.

"Why did you run?" Cuphead asked.

Djimmi looked saddened. "It looks like Angel might be afraid of clowns," he said gently.

The girl flinched a little, looking unsure. "She doesn't remember if she's always had that fear," Specter said gently.

Angel looked a bit ashamed. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I...I just got terrified."

Cagney placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "Your fear of clowns must come from your past, even if you can't remember," he said gently.

"But Uncle Beppi is nice," Mugman said, looking at Angel. "He won't hurt you."

"Yeah," Cuphead said with a nod.

Beppi looked at his nephews. "It's alright, boys," he said gently. "There are some people who are afraid of clowns and I don't judge them."

"But why?" Mugman asked. "Why would someone be scared of you just because you're a clown, Uncle Beppi?"

"Well, it is possible Angel might have had a bad experience with a clown once and that fear has always been with her," Djimmi said gently before going up to the girl, who winced a little. "Don't worry. We won't hurt you," he reassured her.

Beppi nodded. "And I won't approach you unless you're okay with it," he promised.

Angel looked at him and slowly nodded, finding that to be okay and she was alright as long as he didn't come too close.

That evening, when Elder Kettle heard about Angel's fear, he agreed with Cagney's theory. "Sometimes a fear can be so deep that even if a person gets amnesia, that fear will still be present and much stronger," he said.

"He looked like he understood my fear, but...I think I hurt his feelings," the eighteen-year-old girl said.

"I'm sure he won't hold it against you," the kettle said gently.

Mugman and Cuphead came out, ready for bed and they went up to Angel, who hugged them. "Angel, do you think you can watch over us again sometime?" The blue mug asked.

"Yeah!" The red cup said eagerly.

She smiled. "Sure," she said before looking sad. "Sorry about earlier, boys."

"It's okay," Mugman said. "It's not your fault."

"No, it's not," Cuphead said.

Angel smiled gratefully at them before the boys headed off to bed with Elder Kettle following to tuck them in and Angel stood up, looking at the clock, her mind still stuck on her reaction to Beppi and how sad he looked at learning she was so afraid of clowns. She began to feel guilty and sighed, unsure of what to do.

* * *

**A fear of clowns is a very serious fear. I have met some adults that see someone dressed as a clown and they run in fear. I kid you not. It may seem funny, but never laugh at someone who is afraid of clowns. It's as valid as a fear of snakes or spiders or any other fear that is out there. **

**Please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


	4. A Step Forward

**Chapter 4: A Step Forward **

Specter was deep in thought as he thought about Angel and how she had been afraid of Beppi. Though the clown understood, it was plain to see that he was hurt that someone had made the girl afraid of clowns. He then had an idea and checked the calendar, nodding to see that Cuphead had a doctor's appointment the next day and Elder Kettle had asked the ghost and Cagney if they'd watch Mugman for a bit. He then called Elder Kettle up, who answered on the second ring.

"Hello, Elder," Specter said respectfully.

"Ah, hello, Specter," the kettle said in greeting. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes. Mugman is still coming over tomorrow, correct?"

"Yes and he was wondering if you and Cagney would be alright with Angel coming over too."

Specter grinned, an idea forming. "Of course," he said, blushing a little as he thought of Angel, glad no one was around to see him blush. "How is Angel doing by the way?"

"Well, she's doing better, but...I think she feels upset that she hurt Beppi's feelings over her fear," Elder Kettle said. "She looked very guilty when she spoke with me last night about it."

"Like she knows he understands but is upset that he is sad that she's afraid of him?" The ghost asked.

"Exactly," said the kettle. "I was wondering how to help her with her fear."

"I might have an idea, but only if you're okay with it."

When the kettle heard the idea, he agreed it was no doubt the best bet they had. "Alright," he said. "But the moment she goes into a panic attack, call in someone to help her calm down, someone she trusts."

Specter thought for a moment and decided Cagney would be best for Angel to run to if she went into another panic attack. "Alright," he said. "We'll see you tomorrow."

Cagney came in and he looked concerned. "Do you think it'll work?" He asked.

"Well, it's worth a try," the ghost said. "There are times that Beppi watches the boys and we can't have Angel so afraid that she runs into trouble while trying to get away from him."

"That's true," the flower said. "Okay, let's hope it goes well."

_The next morning..._

Mugman was excited to go see his uncles and hugged his brother. "Hopefully your checkup will go good and quick," he said.

"Me too," Cuphead said, looking a bit nervous.

Angel smiled and hugged the young cup. "Don't worry, from what I see, you're healthy as a horse. I'm sure it'll go well," she said.

"Thanks, Angel," he said.

Not too long after, Elder Kettle and Cuphead were off to the doctor while Angel and Mugman headed for Specter and Cagney's home, the little mug riding on the young woman's shoulders. They soon saw the two outside and waved, going up to them and accepting hugs from the ghost and the flower. "We have someone else coming over in a bit too," Cagney said.

"Which reminds me, better get some snacks going," Specter said, floating into the house and into the kitchen.

"I'll go help Specter," Angel said, setting down Mugman, who nodded and went up to the flower, gently nudging his stem and making his uncle yelp as it tickled a bit and the flower chased after the mug, catching him and tickling him in retaliation, making Angel smile as she headed inside and was soon helping the blue ghost with the snacks.

Specter looked over at Angel while she was working and he smiled at her, blushing as he thought of how pretty she was. She turned in time to see him and he jumped, turning away quickly and working on the task before him. "Specter?" He heard her ask and he turned to see she was giving him a look of concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," he said. "Sorry, I was lost in thought."

She nodded and it wasn't long before Mugman came in with a happy squeal. "Uncle Beppi's here!" He exclaimed happily.

Angel froze when she heard that and she turned to see Cagney come in with the clown behind him and Mugman glomped the clown, who smiled and hugged him back before seeing Angel and waving to her. "Hello, Angel. I hope you're well today," he said politely.

She noticed he kept his distance and she nodded. "Yes, thank you," she said. "I hope you're well as well."

Her voice shook a little, but held steady for the most part and she stayed close to Specter while watching Beppi interact with Mugman, who was now giggling as the clown playfully tickled him, pretending to be the tickle monster that was going to tickle the boy to pieces. Cagney noticed how Angel was watching and smiled. "Beppi really is gentle," he said to her. "And he loves our nephews too. He'd never hurt them."

"You know, the boys were scared of him too once," Specter said. "But once they saw he was really harmless, they took right to him."

That surprised Angel before she looked down. "Maybe their fear of clowns wasn't as deep as my fear is," she said softly.

Cagney placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently. "But at least you're giving Beppi a chance now," he said gently. "You're not running away."

"Mostly likely because he hasn't tried to approach me," she said. "He is at least keeping his word about that."

Later on, they were all in the living room visiting before Specter and Cagney headed out to check the mail and Mugman went with them, leaving Angel and Beppi in the living room. The clown was about to take his leave when he saw the girl staying put in her chair, but watching him. He stayed put too before speaking.

"I really don't hold your fear against you, Angel," he said gently. "But I do wish to help you."

She looked at him closely. "How?" She asked.

"Well, perhaps a blindfold for the moment?"

She gave the suggestion some thought before nodding. If she couldn't see him, it made sense that her fear wouldn't be as strong then. At least she hoped that was the case as she took a bandana out of her pocket and folded it carefully, tying it around her eyes and sitting still. "Okay," she said.

Seeing this was a rather big step, Beppi approached cautiously. "Let's see how you do for five minutes," he suggested.

"Alright," she said, seeing that was a good start.

He took a deep breath. "I really mean you no harm, Angel," he said to her as he came closer. She didn't say anything, but he took her silence as an okay to approach and he gently touched her shoulder, deciding not to make any sudden moves.

Angel heard him approach and when he touched her shoulder, she kept still, but was still scared and after five minutes, she sighed and reached up to undo the blindfold. The clown backed away and sat down in his chair as she removed the blindfold. "I'm sorry," she said softly, hating that he looked so hurt that she was afraid of him.

He gently shook his head. "Angel, I won't force you to not be afraid of me," he said gently. "But maybe we can work with the blindfold a bit more later. You did really good for the five minutes."

She sighed. "Well, if you're willing to earn my trust, then okay," she said. "I can see how much the boys love you. If they were still afraid of you, they wouldn't rush to you with open arms like they do to Cagney, Specter, and Elder Kettle."

"True," Cagney said as he, Specter, and Mugman came in.

Angel suddenly felt another flashback hit her and she gasped, which alerted the others as her eyes seemed unfocused all of a sudden.

"_You can't be afraid of everything," _a voice said. _"Have a respect and understanding for it, but be careful that fear doesn't control you. Fear can be a dangerous thing, so make sure that you try to face your fears even when you're afraid. Fear can't stand it when someone stands up to it." _

Blinking with a gasp, the young woman shook her head and blinked again. "What's wrong, Angel?" Specter asked, going up to her.

"I...I had another flashback...but it made no sense," she admitted.

Mugman went up to her and hugged her, to which she returned the hug as the flower, ghost, and clown watched, curious and concerned a bit about the girl, but pleased that she had at least taken a step forward to try and work on her fear.

* * *

**Looks like Angel is working a bit more on her fear. :) **

**Please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


	5. Settling In

**Chapter 5: Settling In **

Angel woke up one morning and smiled as she saw the sun was shining brightly. "Hard to believe it's been a month already," she said as she got up and got dressed, heading down the hall and seeing the boys were still asleep. She smiled and went to wake them up. "Boys. Time to get up," she said.

Mugman woke up and blinked sleepily. "Already?" He said before yawning.

Angel chuckled. "I'll tickle you out of bed," she said teasingly, to which he squeaked, pulling the covers up, but giggled as she reached under the blanket and tickled his stomach, making him laugh as he quickly got out of bed to escape her fingers.

"Okay, okay, I'm up," he said before hugging her. "Morning, Aunt Angel."

"Good morning, Mugman," she said with a smile.

Recently, the boys had decided that she was more like an aunt to them and so took to calling her 'Aunt Angel', which she accepted as it felt right. She had even started calling Elder Kettle 'Grandpa', as she saw him as a grandfather figure for her. The kettle had been pleased and accepted the title gladly, admitting he saw Angel as a granddaughter, just as he saw the boys as his grandsons.

Angel now looked over to see Cuphead was awake and she smiled. "Good morning, Cuphead," she said.

He smiled. "Good morning, Aunt Angel," he said before sniffing the air. "Hey, I think Elder's making pancakes for breakfast."

"Yay!" Mugman cheered. "Race you, Cups!"

"You're on, Mugs!"

The two boys scampered down the hall, making Angel laugh in amusement as she followed them, finding Elder Kettle in the kitchen as the boys set the dining room table. "Good morning, Grandpa," the young woman said.

"Ah, good morning, my dear," he said with a smile as she hugged him and he kissed her forehead in affection. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Yes, thank you," she said.

After breakfast, the boys were off to school while Angel stayed in the house with Elder Kettle, wanting to talk to him about something. They sat in the living room and he looked at her. "How are you coming along with Beppi?" He asked.

She took a deep breath. "Honestly, I don't think I'm doing so great with that," she admitted.

Beppi, the sweet clown that he was, had been very patient with Angel and they still worked with the blindfold, but she was still afraid of clowns and whenever she took off the blindfold, she would see the hurt on the clown's face, which she didn't like. She now sighed. "I feel so guilty that he feels so hurt that I'm afraid of him," she admitted. "Even though he understands, I still hate how hurt he looks at seeing that I'm still afraid when he seems genuine and not trying to fighten me."

"It isn't your fault, my dear," the kettle said, gently placing a hand over hers. "You shouldn't blame yourself. Fear is very powerful and when it's a deep-set fear, it takes a lot of willpower to overcome that fear."

She looked down. "Oh, Grandpa, I wish I could face that fear," she said. "Because I can see how much the boys love Beppi and he genuinely loves them as his nephews."

"That he does," Elder Kettle said. "Though...the boys were afraid of him once too."

Angel looked up at him. "They were?" She asked in surprise.

He nodded. "Do you remember when we first found you, King Dice said the monster was after you?" He asked.

"Yes?" She said with a nod.

"Well, that monster forced the boys into gathering the debts that many of the inhabitants of the Isles owed him," Elder Kettle said. "The boys were afraid as if they didn't do so, they would be his prisoners."

Angel gasped before looking angry. "Remind me to punch that monster if he ever shows his face here," she said. "No one does that to my nephews and gets away with it."

The kettle chuckled and nodded, seeing that the young woman had become very protective of the boys after they deemed her to be their aunt. He then sobered. "The boys had to face the inhabitants, who they had known for a long time, which forced the inhabitants to fight them, though they didn't want to," he said.

"But they had no choice," she said sadly.

He nodded again. "The only way to beat the monster was to get the debts and then battle him," he said. "Otherwise, they couldn't be free or free the others."

Angel looked shocked. "They...battled the monster themselves?!" She asked, her jaw dropping.

"Yes," Elder Kettle said. "Thankfully, they had powers thanks to Legendary Chalice and myself as both of us were worried about them."

The young woman blinked. "Who's Legendary Chalice?" She asked.

"A friend of the family," he said. "She was trapped a few times thanks to the monster and the boys freed her. In return, she gave them powers as thanks."

Angel nodded. "I bet the others would have helped the boys if they could have," she said.

The kettle nodded. "After the boys kicked the monster off the isles, we haven't seen him, but now...,"

"He's returned and apparently hunting for me," she finished. "But...I still don't know why. And I still don't know how I ended up in the water."

"Well, perhaps we'll know soon," he said. "Back to the subject of Beppi, why don't you go with the boys next time and watch from a nearby spot? That way, you could see if you're comfortable to be near him while the boys are around."

She nodded, liking that idea. "The boys always seem to have a great time with him," she said. "They've told me about how he is a fun babysitter along with Djimmi."

Elder Kettle chuckled. "He's even taught the boys some magic tricks and I believe he mentioned he wanted to teach them a new trick today," he said.

She nodded. "I think I'll go with the boys then," she said.

Just then, a knock came at the door and the kettle answered it, finding Specter to be there and the ghost looked bashful. "Good morning, Elder Kettle," he said politely. "Is Angel home?"

"She is," he said with a smile before letting the ghost in and leading him to the living room. "Angel, you have a visitor, dear."

She looked up and smiled at seeing who it was. "Specter," she said. "What a pleasant surprise."

He looked more bashful now before looking at her. "Um, I got you something," he said before holding out a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Angel gasped in surprise as she accepted them, blushing.

"They're beautiful, thank you," she said, blushing more as the ghost also blushed.

Elder Kettle smiled at the exchange, knowing this meant that the two were falling in love. He decided to give them some privacy before seeing that the boys would be home in an hour as it was a short day in school that day.

Sure enough, an hour later, the boys returned home and greeted their uncle and aunt happily before Mugman noticed the flowers. "Uncle Specter, you like Aunt Angel?" He asked.

The poor ghost blushed at that and Angel blushed too. Cuphead grinned. "He does!" He said happily. "And Aunt Angel likes him too!"

The boys danced around happily before Mugman felt Angel catch him and Cuphead felt Specter catch him. "Well, what should we do with these two?" The ghost asked the young woman.

"I think they've earned a great big tickle torture," she said, lifting up Mugman's black shirt a little and blowing a raspberry into his stomach, making him squeal. Cuphead was in the same predicament as Specter blew raspberries into his neck.

"My, my, look at these little wiggle worms we have," the ghost said playfully, now blowing raspberries into Cuphead's stomach, making him squeal again. "And these yummy little stomachs they have."

"Indeed," Angel said with a chuckle. "Yummy little tummies just begging to be eaten."

The boys laughed as their uncle and aunt tickled them a bit longer before letting them up and Mugman grinned up at his aunt. "Do you think you and Uncle Specter will get married one day, Aunty?" He asked.

Angel blushed again. "Well, who knows?" She said before smiling. "Would you boys be okay with that?"

"Yeah," Cuphead said with a nod. "It would be cool."

Specter and Angel looked at each other before blushing. "Well, let's see how it goes," the ghost said finally and the young woman nodded in agreement.

Elder Kettle came out. "Boys, it's almost time to go to the carnival," he said. "Beppi is expecting you."

"Yay!" The boys cheered happily.

"Is it okay if I come along too, boys?" Angel asked.

"Sure!" Cuphead said with a grin.

"Please do," Mugman said.

She chuckled, though was still nervous about her fear. "Alright," she said, standing up and looking at Specter, who sensed she was nervous about this.

"I'll come along too," he said. "If that's alright."

She nodded, looking relieved he had offered and it wasn't long before they were at the carnival and the boys ran to hug Beppi, who smiled and greeted them warmly with hugs before greeting Specter and Angel, who greeting him back with a smile, though she hung back a little.

"I'm glad you're here," the clown said. "There's a new trick I've been wanting to show you."

The boys watched with wide eyes as Beppi showed them a white hankerchief before he gathered a few more colored purple, red, and blue, pushing them all together in one fist before holding out his hand and opening it to reveal the hankerchiefs were gone.

Angel felt her mouth drop in amazement and Specter chuckled in amusement. "He's full of surprises," she said.

Beppi suddenly blinked before looking at Mugman and smiling, reaching forward and tickling his neck to make him giggle right before the clown pulled out a multi-colored hankerchief from the little one's ear. Cuphead was stunned as the hankerchief was the same colors of the ones that Beppi had stuffed into his hand. "Wow!" He said.

"I second that," Angel said with a nod, feeling okay as she was sitting a few feet away from the clown with the boys in front of her. Specter smiled before Beppi looked at the boys.

"Want to see the jumping rubber band?" He asked.

They nodded and he put a rubber band around his ring and pinkie fingers before unseeingly pulling on it a little and letting it go, making it jump to his first two fingers. "How did you do that?" Mugman asked.

"Here. I'll show you," the clown said, demonstrating.

The boys were thrilled to know a new trick and Angel gasped as a flashback hit her of someone teaching her the same trick. She blinked and it vanished. "Angel?" Specter asked, touching her shoulder gently.

She nodded. "I'm okay," she said.

"Flashback?"

She nodded again, seeing the boys and Beppi were looking at her. "Are you alright, Aunty?" Cuphead asked.

Angel nodded. "Yes," she said. "I just had a flashback."

"What about?" Mugman asked.

"Well, I think someone taught me that same trick with the rubber band," she said. "But...I'm not sure who."

Beppi was surprised, but looked hopeful. "Was it...a good memory?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yes, it was," she said.

He looked relieved about that, something Angel noticed and it made her happy as she saw that the clown had been worried it might have brought up a bad memory. Specter chuckled as the boys giggled before continuing to practice the trick.

King Dice was nearby, but unseen as he watched them all. "I still don't know why that monster is after her," he said to Pirouletta, who was with him.

"You're sure that necklace is possibly protecting her?" She asked.

"It's the only thing that makes sense," he admitted before the teleported away to the casino, hoping that they'd soon be rid of the monster once again.

* * *

**Well, looks like we've officially got love in the air and it looks like Angel's doing better with her fear of clowns, but next up, she will meet the very monster after her. How will she fare? Stay tuned to find out! :) **

**And please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


	6. Facing The Monster

**Chapter 6: Facing The Monster **

"Ah there, that should do it," Djimmi said as he stepped back to look at the room he and Angel had just finished setting up. "Thank you for helping me with this, Angel. Puphead will be happy with his new room."

She smiled. "You're a good father to him, Djimmi," she said to the genie.

He smiled. "Thank you," he said before looking concerned. "How are you doing with Beppi?"

Angel bit her lip thoughtfully. "I'm doing better with him, but...I still have a bit to go," she said truthfully.

He nodded understandingly. "He said when he showed the boys the rubber band trick the other day, it made you remember that someone had taught you the same trick," he said.

"Yes," she said. "It was a good memory, for a change." She sighed. "I still see that man in a bed and he tells me about my necklace, but I don't know who he is. I just feel that...he's someone close to me."

"Like a father or uncle?" The genie asked.

"Or a grandfather," she said, nodding. "I just wish I knew."

"You'll know when the time is right," he said reassuringly.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

At that cry, both turned to find Puphead running towards them and the little puppet looked afraid. "What's wrong, son?" Djimmi asked, scooping him up into his arms.

"The monster! He's coming!" Puphead said fearfully.

Djimmi and Angel looked at each other in alarm. "Are you sure, son?" The genie asked.

The puppet nodded. "I saw him, Daddy. He was at the carnival entrance," he said.

Just then, an alarm rang shrilly and Djimmi now knew his son was right. "Angel, you need to hide," he said urgently.

She looked worried. "It's the same monster, isn't it?" She asked.

He nodded. "Quick, follow me."

The genie led Angel to the magical disappearing boxes on a stage and guided her to a hole under the box, one that would allow a magician to escape and pop up somewhere else. She slipped in and nodded when she was ready. "Be careful, Djimmi," she said to him.

"I will," he said, closing the trap door and putting the box back into place before placing Puphead in the secret cubby that was by his son's new bed. He saw Mugman and Cuphead already in there.

"Uncle Beppi brought us here," Cuphead said.

"Good," Djimmi said. "Please watch over Puphead for me."

"Be careful, Uncle Djimmi," Mugman said worriedly.

"I will," he promised them. "Now, keep very quiet."

He said this in a gentle, but urgent whisper as he closed the door and the three gathered around, hugging each other and hoping their uncles would be okay.

"He's after Aunt Angel," Cuphead said, fear in his voice.

"I hope he doesn't get her," Mugman said.

Puphead nodded. "Daddy and Uncle Beppi will kick his sorry butt," he said, but he sounded afraid too.

Outside on the carnival grounds, Djimmi was facing the monster while Beppi made sure everyone had evacuated safely and he hid in a spot to make sure the monster didn't get close to where Angel and the boys were hiding.

"Fool! Give me the girl!" The monster roared. "I want her!"

"Never!" The genie said, narrowing his eyes as he called up his attacks. "You'll never get Angel! Or the boys!"

The monster grinned and began calling up his attacks and it was quite a battle before the monster got in a lucky shot and Djimmi fell to one knee, injured but still ready to go. "Give her to me, genie," the monster hissed.

"No," Djimmi said, standing firm. "Beat me down as much as you want. You'll never get Angel."

The monster narrowed his eyes and readied a powerful attack to bring down on the genie.

Angel had been hiding when she noticed her necklace was glowing with a bright light and she looked at it curiously before she suddenly felt something was gravely wrong and she slipped out of her hiding place, staying hidden until she got to the door flap of the tent and looked out to see Djimmi was down flat on the ground, struggling to get up as he was injured and the monster stood over him with one hand powered up to deliver a devastating blow. Feeling horror fill her at that and then anger, Angel ran from the tent, charging forward until she was between the monster and her friends, holding out her hands, which were now glowing brightly. "Get away from him!" She snarled, her hands striking the monster's chest, making him screech in pain as her hands now glowed with a blinding white light, blinding him. With a final yowl of pain, he vanished, forced into a retreat.

Angel looked around, standing protectively over Djimmi as he finally managed to sit up, but looked worn out. After seeing the coast was clear, she got out her phone and called Elder Kettle. "Elder, we need your help," she said. "The monster. He came to the carnival. Djimmi's hurt."

The kettle was at the fairgrounds faster than you could say 'go' when he heard that and he helped Djimmi while Angel winced and realized her hands were burned from the bright light she used to make the monster retreat. She went back into the tent and to the sink, turning on the cold water in hopes it would soothe the burns. She sighed as the cold water was helping to alleviate the pain, but she knew it was only a temporary solution until she got more treatment for her hands.

Beppi, having witnessed what had happened, ran and got the boys, taking them to Cala Maria and Brineybeard, who were shocked to hear about the monster's brazen attack and agreed to watch the boys until the fairgrounds were safe again. The clown then headed back, going into the circus tent and finding Angel running cold water over her red hands. "Oh, gracious," he said in alarm, making her jump a bit before she relaxed. Noting this, he stepped a bit closer. "What happened to your hands?"

"I think they might have gotten burned when I hit that monster with that bright light," she said.

Beppi at once ran to get the first-aid kit and after Angel carefully dried her hands, the clown went up to her and gently took one of her hands. "Hold still," he said as he placed burn ointment on her hand, being very careful.

Angel looked at him and though she was still a little unsure about him, she held still, seeing he was trying to help her. He examined both her hands after putting the ointment on and he nodded. "You're lucky. Only first-degree burns," he said, wrapping her hands up carefully with gauze and tape before reaching into his pocket, pulling out a pair of gloves. "These will help the bandages stay clean while your hands heal."

She slipped them on, looking at him as she relaxed, her fear of him now gone as she saw that he really was genuine and he had helped her. If he was evil, he wouldn't have helped her. She looked at the gloves, noting they were similar to his own and she smiled. "Thank you, Beppi," she said, looking at him.

He looked at her and smiled, seeing she wasn't afraid of him. "You were very brave to face that monster," he said. "But why is he after you?"

"I don't know," she said before looking back at her hands. "And I don't know why my necklace glowed and then my hands glowed like a burning sensation when I stood between him and Djimmi."

"Your necklace glowed?" He asked.

"Yeah, almost like it was warning me that Djimmi was in trouble," she said. "And when I saw he was, I just couldn't stand there and do nothing."

Beppi looked thoughtful, remembering that Elder Kettle had said Angel's necklace wasn't infused with magic, so he wondered why it glowed, unless it had something to do with her powers. "Maybe it has something to do with your powers," he said.

"But...how is it that I have powers?" She asked.

"You must have gained some powers that you instinctively used when you saw Djimmi was about to get seriously hurt," he said.

"Maybe," she said before sighing. "I'll speak to Grandpa about it."

She stood up before looking at Beppi. "By the way, thank you for helping me, Beppi," she said. "I'm sorry I was afraid of you before."

He smiled. "I don't hold it against you, Angel, but I forgive you all the same," he said. He grunted in surprise when she hugged him before she gasped as she remembered something.

"The boys. Are they alright?" She asked.

"They're safe with Cala Maria and Brineybeard," Beppi said. "I got them over there after seeing you force that monster into retreat."

Elder Kettle came in with Djimmi, who looked much better. "Thank you for helping me, Angel," he said. "That was brave of you."

"You were willing to fight for me," she said. "It was only fair that I do the same for you."

Beppi nodded. "The boys are safe with Cala Maria and Brineybeard," he said. "Why don't we go get them?"

The walk was a pleasant one as Elder saw that Angel wasn't afraid anymore of Beppi and he smiled, his smile growing wider when he heard the boys' laughter as the three saw them all.

"Uncle Beppi! Uncle Djimmi! Elder! Aunt Angel!" Cuphead called out, running up to them with Mugman hot on his heels.

"Daddy!" Puphead called out, running to his father.

The hugs were plentiful as the boys hugged their family, but Mugman noticed Angel's hands. "What happened, Aunt Angel?" He asked.

"I faced the monster and made him retreat," she said. "But something tells me we haven't seen the last of him yet."

"We kicked him off the Isles once, we'll do it again," Cuphead said firmly.

Cala Maria came over and she kindly gave Angel some strong healing potions, which the girl thanked her gratefully and took them before looking at Brineybeard, a flashback hitting her and she shook her head, looking confused. "What's wrong, lass?" He asked her, noticing she was giving him a funny look.

"Have we...met before?" She asked, blinking as she held her head for a moment before taking a deep breath. "I...I just saw you...in one of my flashbacks."

Cala Maria looked at Brineybeard, to which the captain bit his lip. "We might have, lass," he said. "I see many people on my voyages. Perhaps we did meet once long ago."

The mermaid nodded. "Maybe at a port where he was anchored at for a bit," she said.

Angel nodded. "Maybe you're right," she said before sighing. "I wish I had my memory back. These flashbacks make no sense."

"Give it time, Angel," Djimmi said gently. "For now, we best get ready for that monster to return again."

They all nodded in agreement before heading back to their homes, getting ready for the final battle.

* * *

**Hmm, more mysteries. Has Angel met Brineybeard before? Also, how did she get powers? Stay tuned to find out! :) **

**And please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


	7. Powers

**Chapter 7: Powers **

After the excitement at the fairgrounds, Elder Kettle was sitting in his living room with Angel sitting in a chair beside him as she told him about the battle with the monster and how it seemed she had powers. "But I've never had powers before, so I don't know why I suddenly do," she said. "And my necklace glowed, but I don't know how as it's not infused with magic. You told me that yourself when we first met."

"That I did," he said. "But...I know how you got your powers."

Angel looked at him in surprise and he nodded. "I gave you your powers, Angel."

She looked shocked and took a moment to think on it before looking at him. "I don't understand," she said.

Elder gently placed a hand comfortingly on her right hand. "With the monster looking for you, I was worried you might run into trouble, so each day, I gave you a potion mixed with your drinks. I did small amounts at a time because I wasn't sure how your body would take to having magic. You see, we inhabitants of the Isles use magic for defense among other things. I was afraid that if you didn't have something to defend yourself with, the monster would grab you at the first chance he could."

She looked away as she thought about that and looked at him. "So, did my necklace glow because of my powers?" She asked.

"Yes," he said. "Whenever someone in your family or your friends are in trouble, your necklace will glow to alert you. Just curious, what color did it glow?"

"White, just like my hands did when I battled the monster."

He nodded. "Good, then the potion did work to give you to ability to blind opponents with a bright light," he said. "Also, depending on how bright your hands are glowing, you can not only push your opponent back, but also stun them too."

"Which would explain why the monster yowled when I hit him in the chest to get him away from Djimmi," she said.

Elder nodded again. "I was hoping for you to have a little more time to gain more powers before having you start training, but now, our worst fears have come true. That monster is after you for something."

"But what?" She asked, sighing. "Why is he after me?"

The kettle had a sudden thought. "What if...he's the reason for your amnesia?" He asked.

Angel looked up at him and as weird as it sounded, she realized it made sense. "Something happened and...if I was in the water, I had to have been shipwrecked or thrown in the water, right?"

"I think shipwrecked is more accurate," he said. "Or you fell overboard from a ship."

The young woman had a sudden thought. "Wait, an evil spirit or something really evil can't touch water because water is a purifier, right?" She asked.

"It depends," he said. "But I do know for a fact that the monster can't touch water as it is a purifier, as you said."

Angel had a thought. "Could I have jumped into the water to get away?" She asked. "And maybe hit my head, which is why I have amnesia?"

"That is a good possibility," Elder Kettle said with a nod. "Or perhaps someone who knew you'd be safer in the water sent you on a raft and the raft tipped over."

"But there was no raft near me, right?"

"We didn't see one."

The young woman sighed. "I wish we had answers," she said. "Because all it seems we're getting is just questions on top of questions."

The kettle nodded and gently squeezed his granddaughter's hand. "We'll get the answers we need," he said reassuringly. "Somehow."

She nodded before looking at him. "So, about training. Will you train me, Grandpa?"

He nodded again. "Myself, Specter, and Cagney," he said. "In fact, those two should be here soon."

The doorbell rang and Angel went to answer it, finding the flower and ghost on the doorstep. "Hi, guys," she said, smiling at them, her eyes seeming to sparkle as she looked at Specter, who seemed to grow quite bashful at the moment.

Cagney smiled as he noticed this and gently cleared this throat, making both Angel and Specter jump before the girl looked embarrassed and the ghost was trying not to fidget. "Should I ask Elder Kettle to book you two a hotel room?" The flower asked with a smirk.

"Cagney!" Specter groaned out in embarrassment while Angel blushed a bright red before getting an idea and playfully poking Cagney's stem. He yelped in surprise and jumped, to which she suddenly grinned.

"You're ticklish, Cagney?" She asked, feeling mischievous.

Specter grinned and caught his friend before he could get away, holding his arms back to prevent him from escaping or protecting his tickle spots. "Oh, yes," he said with a chuckle. "His stem is his second-worst tickle spot."

"Specter!" Cagney protested, yelping when the ghost's tail wiggled into his stem, making him laugh.

"His worst spot though...is his petals," the ghost said.

Angel grinned. "You've got him?" She asked.

He nodded with a grin. "Get him good, Angel."

Grinning wider, the girl reached forward and tickled Cagney's stem, making him yelp again and laugh hard.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NOHOHOHOHOHOHO! ANGEHEHEHEHEHEL!" The flower laughed out, squirming to get free, but was trapped. "STOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOP!"

"Nope!" She said. "Gonna getcha, Cagney!"

With that, she reached up and tickled the orange petals. Cagney let out a squeal that Specter was sure all the Isles heard and he chuckled. "Do some raspberries, Angel," the ghost said. "Cagney loves raspberries to his stem and petals."

"NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO IHIHIHIHIHIHIHI DOHOHOHOHOHON'T!" Cagney protested while laughing, another squeal leaving him as the girl blew a big raspberry onto his stem. "AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! DOHOHOHOHOHON'T DOHOHOHOHO THAHAHAHAHAHAHAT!"

"Cootchie, cootchie, coo!" She cooed to him before blowing more raspberries, this time into the orange petals. Cagney howled with laughter as she did that, tears coming to his eyes from laughing so hard. Seeing that, Angel stopped the tickle attack, smirking at the flower. "Well, you going to tease me and Specter again?" She asked him.

Specter playfully poked his friend's stem, making him jump with a yip. "Well?" He asked with a smile.

Cagney suddenly grinned. "Oh, yeah," he said, catching both of them in a few vines, making them yelp as they had been caught by surprise. "Cause it's fun to tease you two. Especially when I do this."

The flower began tickling both the ghost and girl with his hands and loose vines, making Specter squeal and Angel laugh her hardest as she squirmed to get away, but the vines held her good until Cagney let them both up, smiling at them.

Angel sat up, grinning before a flashback hit her and she gasped, jumping up and her powers automatically activated, her hands glowing despite the gloves she wore. "Angel? What is it?" Specter asked, going up to her worriedly.

Cagney noticed something and his eyes widened. "Specter, look out!" He warned, pulling his friend away from the girl just in time as she crossed her arms at her forearms like an 'X' and flung them outward, a huge beam of light moving from her like a shockwave before it struck the fence, taking out a few posts. The sound of the wood splintering seemed to put Angel into a panic.

"Everyone get to the stern!" She cried out, her eyes wide, but unfocused, which told the two that she was seeing something they couldn't see.

Elder Kettle came running out. "What happened?" He asked.

"I think Angel went into a flashback, but this one seems more...vivid," Specter said.

"She was fine while we were messing around, but when she sat up, she just...looked like she was reliving something," Cagney said.

Angel suddenly fell to her knees, breathing hard as her hands stopped glowing and she blinked, her eyes coming back into focus before she turned to find the flower, ghost, and kettle looking at her worriedly. "Angel, are you alright?" Elder Kettle asked, going up to her.

She nodded. "I think so," she said. "But...that was weird."

"What did you see?" Specter asked.

"I was on a ship," she said. "It was quiet until...until something hit the ship. All of us reacted by grabbing what weapons we could find. I grabbed a whip and a staff and flung my arms outward to make the whip crack and the staff whistle like I was trying to scare something, but then part of the ship broke and we ran for the stern of the ship." She blinked. "That's the last thing before...I woke up in the water."

"Then you were shipwrecked," Cagney said. "But what could have attacked your ship?"

"I don't know," she said. "It was something powerful though, if my flashback was accurate."

Elder Kettle was filled with worry now and looked at the flower and ghost. "Would you both be willing to work with Angel on her powers that she has today?" He asked.

"Sure thing, Elder," Specter said before the three of them headed for the backyard to train while the kettle went back inside, his worry for Angel growing as he now had a bad feeling that the monster had been the one to attack the ship Angel was on and causing her to be shipwrecked. King Dice suddenly appeared before him and looked grim.

"I saw it too," he said. "She vividly remembered how she got into the water, didn't she?"

"Yes, she did," Elder Kettle said. "Dice, what are we going to do?"

"I don't know, Elder," the casino owner said.

Outside, Angel was worried too as she was getting a gut feeling that the battle with the monster earlier was just the beginning to an even bigger battle with bigger stakes that would soon happen.

She only hoped that whatever happened, she'd be able to stop the monster and keep her new friends and family safe.

* * *

**Poor Angel. Looks like she is in a bit of a pickle now. Will she be able to face the monster again and succeed? Stay tuned to find out, because coming up next, the monster strikes again. **

**Please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


	8. Grave Situation

**Chapter 8: Grave Situation **

King Dice was working in the casino when he felt something was gravely wrong. He turned to look out the window, seeing the skies were getting dark. Pirouletta came up to him and took his arm. "King, something doesn't feel right," she said.

He nodded. "Where are the other mini-bosses?" He asked.

"In the casino," she said just before a sharp cry rang out and they ran into the casino to find the inhabitants disappearing rapidly into thin air. Mangosteen looked around in horror.

"What's happening?!" He asked.

"It's some sort of magic!" Hopus said urgently, trying to counter it with his own magic, but it wasn't working. "I can't counter it!"

Pip and Dot suddenly vanished, as did Mr. Chimes, Mr. Wheezy, and the Tipsy Troop. King Dice picked up Pirouletta and then grabbed Mangosteen and Hopus Pocus, getting out of the casino fast as they saw the last of the patrons vanish. "Whatever it is, it's moving fast," he said. "And I think I might know who it is doing this."

Pirouletta gasped. "The monster," she said.

"Yes," the owner of the casino said gravely. "We have to warn the rest of the Isles. Mangosteen, you warn everyone here on this isle. Hopus, warn all of Isle Two. Pirouletta and I will warn all of Isle One."

They quickly split up, but Mangosteen saw that everyone had vanished before he suddenly felt his world go dark. Hopus had the same problem as he couldn't find anyone on Isle Two before he himself vanished.

King Dice and Pirouletta made it to Isle One and the dancer headed off to warn part of the isle while King Dice ran along the path to warn the others. He had just reached Cagney and Specter's home when he saw the flower vanish before him and Specter was worried. "Dice, what is happening?" He asked.

"The monster," the casino owner said. "We've got to warn everyone."

Beppi came running up to them, looking worried. "Everyone's vanishing!" He cried out before he suddenly vanished in front of them.

"King!" Pirouletta cried out as she ran to him, starting to disappear herself.

"Pirouletta!" He cried out, trying to grab her, but missing as she fully vanished and then he vanished too.

Scared now, Specter flew as fast as he could to find Elder Kettle, Angel, and the boys, hoping he wasn't too late, but when he got to the house where they lived, he found it empty. "No," he said in horror.

"Grandpa! Cuphead! Mugman!" He heard Angel call out and he quickly flew to find her, seeing her come in the front door. She looked up at him. "Specter! I can't find them!" She said urgently.

"Something's wrong," he said. "Cagney disappeared before my eyes as did Beppi, King Dice, and Pirouletta."

Angel looked scared. "Djimmi vanished before my eyes too, but he was able to warn me about something coming," she said. "He told me it was the monster."

Specter nodded. "I fear he's right," he said. "The monster is kidnapping us to draw you out to either face him again or force you to do something or it will mean dire consequences."

She hugged him. "What are we going to do?" She asked fearfully.

"I don't know," he said, holding her before suddenly noticing he was starting to vanish. "Angel!"

She looked up and gasped in shock as he was slowly vanishing. "Specter!" She cried out, trying to grab his hand, but her hand went right through his.

"Angel! I can hear him!" He said. "The monster is behind this! Whatever you do, don't give into his demands!"

She nodded. "I'll find you guys!" She promised. "I promise!"

He looked at her as he was almost gone. "Angel...I love you," he said right before he fully vanished.

The young woman stood there in shock before feeling resolve fill her and she stood straighter, noticing her hands were glowing and they didn't hurt now, thanks to her having trained with Specter, Cagney, and Elder Kettle. "No one messes with my family and gets away with it," she said aloud. "Time to face me, coward."

With that, she left the house, walking down the path before she stopped, seeing the very creature she had faced the day before glaring at her and she glared back at him. "What have you done to the inhabitants?" She asked him.

He grinned. "Oh, they're fine for now, but...you decide their fate," he said.

She glared at him. "Release them," she said.

"Oh, I will, if you work for me," he said, holding up a contract. "Work for me, girl, and no one will get hurt. Refuse and one of the inhabitants will be punished."

He snapped his fingers, to which all the inhabitants appeared, wrapped in chains. The monster pointed to Blind Specter and the ghost came forward, chains weighing him down while a powerful magic surrounded him and when the monster snapped his fingers again, lightning began shocking the ghost, making him roar in pain. Angel's eyes filled with tears.

"Stop!" She commanded him. "You're hurting him!"

The attack stopped after a few more moments and Specter floated in the air, panting to try and catch his breath. "Uncle Specter!" Mugman cried out, trying to get closer to him, but was shoved back by the monster, who cackled in glee before looking back at Angel.

"Your choice, girl," he said with a wicked grin. "Work for me and they'll be spared, but if you refuse, well...it looks like Specter won't last another round."

Angel had tears in her eyes as she saw Specter look up at her and he shook his head. She looked at the others that she had befriended and they shook their heads. "Don't, Angel," Elder Kettle said.

"It's not worth it, kid," Cagney said.

Tears fell down her face. "But you're all worth it," she said.

"He won't keep his word, Aunt Angel!" Cuphead said. "Don't do it!"

Angel sighed and her hands moved to her pockets and her eyes suddenly widened as she felt something in her pocket. Curious, she looked at the monster before getting an idea. "Give me five minutes," she said. "And I'll be back."

He smirked. "Take all the time you need," he said with an evil chuckle.

Moving away from them all, Angel found a wide tree and hid behind it, pulling out the item in her pocket and her eyes widened at seeing it was an object that she was familiar with and she realized it could just turn the tide, but she had to be smart about it.

Memories suddenly began flooding her mind and she softly gasped as all the pieces began fitting together and she smiled, gripping the object she had found in her right hand while gripping her necklace with her other hand, all her flashbacks from prior now making sense and she stood up. "Father gave me my necklace," she said softly. "He knew it would protect me because it was given out of love."

Her father had been the one on the bed and had given her the necklace before dying and it was Captain Brineybeard who had come to get her and get her to a ship that would take her to someplace safe as the very person who had killed her father had been after her and Brineybeard had gotten her onto a friend's ship.

She nodded as everything made sense now and she smiled as she held up the object in her hand, knowing what to do. Hiding the object in her hand and in the sleeve of her long-sleeved purple shirt, she came out from behind the tree and went up to the monster, standing a few feet in front of him.

"I will sign the contract with my blood," she said.

"No!" Beppi cried out in horror.

"Angel! No!" Specter cried out, tugging at his chains.

Angel ignored them and looked at the monster. "But you have to swear none of the inhabitants will be harmed or the contract is null," she said.

He grinned. "Very well," he said, adding that part to the contract. Angel read it carefully before sighing and lifting up her right hand in a fist and placing it against the contract, taking her hand away after a moment to reveal a bright red dot on the line.

"No!" Elder Kettle cried out in horror.

"Angel!" Cagney cried out.

"Don't!" Cuphead cried out.

"Please!" Mugman begged.

"Too late," the monster said, signing the contract too and he held it up, looking gleeful. "You're now mine, girl. Let the chains form."

Angel stood there before cocking an eyebrow as the chains didn't form. The monster looked puzzled and held the contract higher, but still the chains didn't form. "What?" He asked. "Why aren't the chains forming?!"

Everyone else was wondering too before they saw Angel smile.

* * *

**Cliffhanger! Why is Angel smiling? And what was her plan? That will be revealed next. :) **

**Please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


	9. The Real Fool

**Chapter 9: The Real Fool **

"Why is Auntie Angel smiling like that?" Cuphead asked in worry.

Cagney looked thoughtful. "I think she knows something," he said.

"I believe you're right," Elder Kettle said. "There's something she's about to reveal."

The monster kept looking at the contract and looking at the young woman, who was still smiling knowingly. "Why isn't it working?!" He asked in frustration.

Angel began chuckling. "Take a closer look at the contract," she said.

He looked at her and then looked closer at the contract before his eyes widened at seeing the red dot on the line wasn't blood. "It's...It's not possible!" He cried out.

The trapped inhabitants were confused before Specter looked closer and he gasped. "It's magic marker," he said.

"That's right," Angel said as her grin grew. "It brought back my memories."

Seeing they were listening, she continued. "The captain of the ship I was on had signed a contract with the monster, but fooled him in the end," she said. "He paid a sum of money to the monster so that he and his crew could pass through Inkwell Isles safely, but he paid him with fool's gold."

A gasp went up from the crowd. "What happened then?" Mugman asked.

"The monster caused the ship to wreck, which was the cause of my amnesia," she said before holding up the red magic marker. "I remember now because it was Captain Brineybeard who gave me this and told me it would come in handy in my travels."

She turned to the trapped captain, who looked confused. "Do you remember the girl that was in a hurry and bumped into you, making you drop a barrel full of oranges?" She asked.

He gasped. "Why, it's you, lass!" He said in surprise before chuckling. "Ye have a good memory, despite your amnesia."

She smiled. "Thank you," she said before looking at the monster and smiling. "You can't fool an angel."

He glared at her. "You still signed the contract!" He said.

"Ah, ah, ah," Angel said, shaking a finger at him. "I said I would sign it with my blood, but that's not blood, as you can see. Therefore, it's a null contract."

The monster's face fell when she said that and she giggled. "That's the loophole in your contracts. To be valid, it must be signed in blood. If it's not, then it will never be valid." She clutched her necklace, which was glowing brightly now. "You've just been beaten at your own game, monster. And now, it's time you faced me."

He glared at her again. "Very well," he said. "But know this, I've never lost a battle yet."

"Something tells me you're lying," she said, still smiling.

The monster glared at her and King Dice felt horror fill him as he knew what the monster was capable of. "Angel, be careful!" He called to her.

She turned and winked at him. "Trust me," she said. "It's not the first time I've dealt with a monster."

The monster began pulling out all his tricks to try and trap the young woman, but when he tried to touch her, his hands got burned and he hissed in anger, to which Angel only smiled, her hands glowing brightly, the white gloves Beppi had given her seeming to blend in with the bright light. The monster charged again at her, but doing a backflip that would have qualified her for a gymnastics tournament, Angel flipped through the air, her hands landing on the monster's shoulders as he passed underneath her and he screamed as her glowing hands began burning his shoulders, forcing him down to his knees before she did a front walkover, landing perfectly on her feet and turning to see the monster laying on the ground, panting in pain. She waited until he stood back up again and he glared at her.

"You seem like a good fighter, but how well can you fight me with just a small circle to stand on?" He asked before diving down into the ground, a small hole big enough to fit her appearing in the ground.

Angel nodded. "Running scared, are you?" She asked sarcastically. "You caused a shipwreck that gave me amnesia, you captured my family and friends, and you hurt the man I love." She closed her eyes before opening them to show that her eyes were glowing too. "You'll pay for that."

With that, she jumped down the hole, making the others gasp in shock. "Angel!" Specter cried out, tugging at his bonds desperately.

"Aunt Angel!" Mugman cried out.

"No!" Elder Kettle cried out in alarm.

Beppi placed a hand on the kettle's shoulder, making him look at him. "Trust Angel," he said before nodding. "She knows what to do."

Angel saw what the monster had meant when she landed on a circle platform and realized it was all that was between her and falling into an endless pit. She soon found him and he was gigantic, but she stood bravely and looked at him before smirking. "Get ready for your defeat," she said. "Because I will win this battle."

He chuckled. "A little overconfident, don't you think?" He asked.

She smiled. "Not at all," she replied. "Because there's something else on that contract. Take a closer look."

He blinked and his eyes widened as he realized the contract was actually one he had written long ago, when he was revising the contracts to have the terms he decided on.

And one such term was if he tried to enforce a null contract, he'd be stripped of his powers and tied up in chains. "No!" He screamed, but it was too late as the chains whipped around him, binding him tightly and he grew weaker. Angel smiled at seeing this.

"I think it's time to permanently banish you," she said.

They both vanished and reappeared up on the surface again, making everyone jump in surprise before the chains holding them broke and vanished. Specter's prison vanished too and they all looked surprised before seeing the monster wrapped in chains and looking defeated once more. Angel looked at King Dice. "Thank you, Dice, for providing the contract," she said.

He grinned. "I have to admit, you had me worried," he said. "But you knew he wouldn't read the fine print, didn't you?"

"Someone who's eager to have a contract signed to get what he wants hardly ever does read the fine print."

The other inhabitants looked at each other before Elder Kettle gasped in realization. "The other day when you went to the casino to meet with King Dice," he said. "It was for a contract?"

"Kind of," Angel said, looking sheepish. "I met up with Dice to practice my powers against the mini-bosses and he said he had found an old rough draft of a contract the monster had made years ago. All it took was a little magic to make it look like new."

"But we hadn't thought of how she could trick the monster, but it looks like someone had already given her the tool she needed to do so," King Dice said as both he and Angel looked at Brineybeard, who looked a bit sheepish.

"Aye," he said. "I knew magic marker would make a contract null because no one would accept a signature made in magic marker."

Angel grinned before turning to glare at the monster tied up on the ground and she got an idea, a knowing smile growing on her face. "What do you say we kick the monster of Inkwell Isles for good?" She asked.

"Yes, let's," Cagney said.

"Yeah!" Mugman and Cuphead cheered and the other inhabitants cheered, rallying around the young woman, who smiled before seeing Djimmi pick up the bound monster with his magic.

"You are banished from these Isles," Angel said, looking him right in the eye. "Don't ever show your face here again."

The monster sighed in defeat before screaming as he was launched at a fast pace across the ocean, making them all smile before they all began checking to make sure everyone was alright. They gathered around Angel, who smiled as she let them fuss over here, but she had no injuries. "Guys, I'm fine," she said.

"That was still a risky move you took," Specter said.

"I'll gladly do it again to protect the ones I love," she said firmly before smiling and looking at the others. "I think it's time I told you the whole story of who I am and why I was on a ship before I was shipwrecked."

Mugman looked up at her in surprise. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"I mean my memory's back," she said, still smiling. "All of it."

* * *

**Well, the monster is gone. Next up: Angel tells everyone the whole story. **

**Please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


	10. Who I Am

**Chapter 10: Who I Am **

"My real name is Angel," she said before grasping her necklace. "My mom died when I was two, so it was just me and my dad for a bit, until he died when I was eleven. He gave me this necklace, told me to always wear it as it would keep me safe."

She closed her eyes briefly as the memory of his death flooded her. "My dad was killed by someone who was after his money and me," she continued. "Someone who had made a deal with that monster."

A gasp went up through the crowd and Angel nodded. "After my dad died, I went into foster care, but I didn't like the family I was with. They were forcing me to date one of their sons to marry later on, but I refused and ran away. Yet no matter where I went, they found me."

"You mean you were on your own in the streets for seven years?!" Cagney asked in shock.

"No," she said. "I worked odd jobs for some elderly people in the towns I was passing by and they offered me work in exchange for a place to sleep and food to eat. Some of them paid me what they could and I saved it, as I knew it would come in handy.

"But my foster family kept on my trail, so I couldn't stay long in a town. Usually about a week was the limit before the children I had recruited to watch for them would warn me and I'd run."

"The children would watch out for you?" Cala Maria asked.

Angel nodded. "I'd bribe them with candy and it always worked," she said. "They would even get the police to stop my foster family while I made my escape."

Elder Kettle smiled at that before looking concerned. "But then how did you end up on a ship?" He asked.

"An elderly lady that I did odd jobs for would tell me stories about when she was a captain at sea. Her father had been a merchant and she had taken over when he had passed away. She told me that if I was looking to escape someone, going to sea was the best because on a ship, I'd be harder to track down, especially a merchant or pirate ship.

"I took her advice and began searching for a boat to take me on. I was sixteen at the time and one merchant hired me on to look after his library, which he treasured. He even let me read the books, which is where I got my love of reading from. We sailed for a year until we landed in a port and he docked, saying he was going to stay for a while as he had family in that port. So I began looking for another boat to take me on."

She then looked at Brineybeard. "In my hurry one day, I ran into Brineybeard and he not only gave me the red marker, but told me of a captain that was looking to ship out soon and would no doubt be willing to take on a passenger. He must have sensed I was on the run, because he told me to watch out as bad people would watch the warf and ports."

"Aye, I did tell ye that," Brineybeard said with a smile. "Not only that, word had gotten around the ships about a girl who was running from some bad people, so we were ready to help ye gain your freedom."

Angel smiled at him. "That's why you gave me the red marker," she said. "Because you also knew that my foster family had made a deal with that monster too."

He nodded and Mugman looked up at the young woman. "So you went to sea again?" He asked.

She nodded. "I became an errand girl for a kind merchant captain, who I told my story to and he promised to keep me safe. When the monster approached him, he made a deal, but went back on it by paying with the fool's gold and having no intentions of helping the monster. We hoped we'd be safe long enough to get away, but the monster found out that he had been tricked and caused the ship to wreck."

She bowed her head. "The captain knew the monster couldn't handle water and so encouraged me to take a life boat and get out of there. But just as he got me to the boat, the monster attacked us. I vaguely remember someone pushing me before I heard a cry and realized the captain had been struck. A second shot blew me and the life boat overboard and I hit my head on the life boat, which knocked me out."

"Which would explain why you were in the water when you first arrived," King Dice said.

Angel nodded again. "My necklace guarded me because it has a cross on it and it was given to me out of love, which defeats evil all the time."

"Which would explain why the monster couldn't find you when you first arrived and why you defeated him so quickly," Djimmi said.

She smiled. "Actually, he was defeated by his own error," she said. "He got too overconfident and that's what cost him."

She then looked down. "I...I wonder if the captain and his family made it out of the shipwreck," she said softly.

"They did, lass," said Captain Brineybeard.

"Yes," said Cala Maria. "Briney and I rescued them a day before the others found you, Angel."

The young woman looked relieved to hear that and she looked at Beppi. "My foster family liked to scare me with scary clown masks, which resulted in me being afraid of clowns," she said before taking Beppi's hand. "But I'm not afraid of them anymore, thanks to you, Beppi."

He blushed before gently squeezing her hand. "I'm glad I could help," he said. "But you really overcame that fear on your own."

"With some help from a sweet, patient clown," she said, making him blush again.

Cuphead suddenly thought of something. "But...you have your memory back," he said. "Do you have other family?"

Realizing what the young cup was asking, Angel shook her head. "No, I don't have any other family," she said. "My family is the people that are standing in front of me."

Everyone smiled at that and Mugman went up to her. "So, does that mean you'll stay? Cause Cups and I would miss you if you left," he admitted.

"And I'd miss you both and everyone if I left," she said before looking at Elder Kettle. "Grandpa, would you be willing to allow me to rent a room from you?"

The kettle smiled. "My dear, you're part of our family," he said gently. "You're more than welcome to stay."

Djimmi and Beppi smiled. "You're part of us all, Angel," said the genie.

"I agree," Cagney said, going up to Angel. "Besides, a certain blue ghost would miss you to pieces if you left," he whispered in her ear.

Angel looked at him and saw him wink before she looked at Specter, who was gazing at her, but then looked away, blushing when he saw her watching him. "Specter?" She asked.

He took a deep breath and looked at her. "Please stay, Angel?" He asked her.

She smiled and looked at everyone, seeing their encouraging smiles and she nodded. "You all have been my family and friends these past few months," she said. "My home is here with all of you."

They all cheered happily, making her smile before Specter took her hands in his own, making her look at him before he tried to clear his throat. "Um, Angel, I've been wanting to ask you something," he said.

"Yes?" She asked gently.

The ghost began blushing again and looked nervous before taking a deep breath, rubbing his thumbs over the backs of her hands. "Angel...I meant it when I said I loved you," he said.

She smiled. "I sensed that before you disappeared," she said before blushing. "When I told that monster that he hurt the man I love, I was talking about you."

Both were blushing a bright red now before Specter cleared his throat and looked at the woman he loved. "Angel...may I court you?" He asked.

Smiling, she leaned forward and gave him a kiss right on the mouth, making him jump in surprise before he returned the kiss. Angel gently broke it after a moment and she smiled at him. "Took you long enough to ask me, you silly ghost," she said.

He blushed before grinning at her. "Took you long enough to come to the Isles," he said teasingly, making her laugh and blush too before they embraced and kissed again.

Cagney smirked. "It's about time you two got together," he said.

"Oh, shush, Cagney," Pirouletta said without heat.

"I agree," King Dice said before scooping up his girlfriend, making her giggle. "Angel and Specter make a cute couple."

"That they do," Elder Kettle said with a nod.

Angel and Specter, oblivious to the others, continued kissing, lost in love and in each other's arms.

* * *

**Looks like the love boat has sailed for Specter and Angel. :) Next up is the epilogue. **

**Please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


	11. Our Future

**Chapter 11: Our Future **

Mugman was on Angel's shoulders as he looked out to the sea, watching for Brineybeard's boat. "Oh, I hope he gets here soon," he said.

Angel chuckled, gently poking her nephew's side to make him giggle. "Have patience, Mugs," she said gently. "He said he'd be here soon."

"He seemed really eager to have us meet him here," Cuphead said. "Like he had good news and wanted us to hear about it first."

"That could be the case," Angel said.

Just then, a splash caught their attention and they looked to see Cala Maria surface and she looked happy. "I just saw his boat!" She said eagerly. "He's on his way!"

The boys cheered and Angel smiled at the mermaid. "How are you doing, Maria?" She asked.

"I'm good, thank you," the mermaid said before carefully climbing up on the dock to sit down, panting a bit to catch her breath. Her stomach was quite round and Angel smiled.

"Did you tell him yet?" She asked.

"Not yet," Maria admitted. "I want to surprise him."

The mermaid and the captain had gotten married not long after the monster had been defeated and about four months ago, Brineybeard had gone to sea with a shipment of cargo for a friend, but the journey had taken longer, according to the letters he sent them. But now, he was coming home and Cala Maria couldn't wait for him to see that she was expecting and best of all, it was triplets, according to the doctor.

Angel and Specter were still dating and had officially become boyfriend and girlfriend a couple months after he had asked to court her and life had been peaceful for all of them with happiness abounding about being free at last of the monster. Another bit of happiness was also the upcoming wedding of King Dice and Pirouletta, the couple deciding to wait until Brineybeard had returned from sea before having the ceremony.

A whale's roar suddenly filled the air and they all perked up as the boat came around a giant rock and headed for them. "There he is!" Mugman said happily.

"Hooray!" Cuphead cheered.

Cala Maria looked pleased as punch with a giant smile on her face and Angel placed two fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly. Specter and Cagney, who had been nearby, heard the whistle and went to the docks, smiling at seeing that their good friend was nearly home. "He's got quite the surprise waiting for him," Cagney said, placing a hand on Cala Maria's shoulder. "How are you doing, Maria?"

"I'm doing good," she said with a smile. "I'm just so glad my captain is returning home and in two months, the triplets will be born."

"That is exciting," Angel said. "Brineybeard will probably hit the deck when he realizes he's going to be a father."

"I wanted to tell him four months ago when I found out but then decided it would be a better surprise for him when he came home," the mermaid said as the boat came closer, nearly ready to dock. "Specter. Cagney, would you both be dears and stand in front of me to hide my husband's surprise?"

They did so, making Angel and the boys giggle as Brineybeard set down the gangplank and came down it, smiling happily. "Ah, this is quite a welcome," he said, seeing his wife was behind Cagney and Specter. "Why are you hiding behind those two, my love? Are you not happy to see me?"

She giggled. "I am, my captain," she said. "But I thought perhaps you'd like to tell Angel the good news first."

Angel blinked before looking at the mermaid and then the captain. "What good news?" She asked curiously.

Brineybeard smiled. "Well lass, when I docked at my destination, I made inquiries about your former foster family and a few of the other captains told me that the ones I sought were hanging around that port, checking the boats that came in to see if you were on them," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing it gently when he saw she looked worried. "I found them and told them that I had heard wind of the monster being defeated by you and that you had found your true love and were looking to marry him quite soon."

The young woman blushed at that, as did Specter. "Um, thank you for doing that, Brineybeard," the ghost said. "Though, Angel and I are still a bit away from marrying just yet."

"True, but it took the wind right out of their sails," the captain said with a chuckle. "And the young man admitted that their contract with the monster had burned up too. I told him that he didn't deserve you, Angel, and if he and his family even tried to hunt you down, they'd have some very fierce protectors to face."

Angel smiled. "What did they say to that?" She asked.

Brineybeard chuckled again. "Well, about two seconds later, some policemen arrived with warrants for the family's arrest," he said. "With charges of abuse, false imprisonment, and tax evasion. I stayed to see what the judge's decision was and the entire family is now in prison for life." He gently squeezed Angel's shoulder again. "Which means you're free, lass. They'll never come after you again."

The young woman felt tears sting her eyes and she hugged him. "Thank you," she said softly as he hugged her back.

"You're welcome, lass," he said. "You're one of us and we'll gladly keep ye safe from any monsters."

Smiling, she nodded before looking at Cala Maria and winking. The mermaid winked back and cleared her throat. "And now...I have a surprise for you, Briney," she said with a smile.

He looked at her. "A hug and a kiss?" He asked with a goofy smile, making her laugh while the others chuckled.

"Well, that and something else."

Cagney and Specter moved to the side and the captain's eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he saw his wife's stomach was rather large and rounded. He gazed up at her hopefully and saw her smile. "Maria, does this mean...?" He asked hopefully.

She nodded. "You're going to be a father, honey," she said. "It's triplets."

"Triplets," he breathed out before a big grin came to his face and he ran up to his wife, picking her up and kissing her soundly before throwing his head back and shouting joyfully. "I'M GOING TO BE A FATHER!"

Angel giggled as did the boys while Cagney and Specter chuckled in amusement. Brineybeard looked at his wife. "How soon, my love?" He asked.

"Two more months," she said with a smile. "I found out not long after you had left that I was pregnant and a week ago learned that it was triplets."

He smiled. "Now this is definitely a welcome home to remember," he said. "Our Angel is safe and we're going to have three little angels."

Cagney chuckled. "Be prepared for the whole island to throw you both a baby shower," he said.

"And Uncle Dice is going to marry Pirouletta soon," Mugman said.

"That's right," Specter said. "They wanted to wait until you had returned, Brineybeard."

"Well then, we have much to celebrate," the captain said before winking at Specter. "By the way, lad, didn't ye say ye wanted to take your girl on the Phantom Express for your date?"

Specter blushed and Angel giggled. "Is that what you've been so secretive about for the past week?" She asked him.

He blushed redder. "Yes," he admitted.

"Well, I saw Mad Train pulling up when I was sailing by," Brineybeard said. "You two best hurry if you want to catch him."

Angel smiled and looked at Specter, who smiled and went up to her. "Angel, do you trust me?" He asked.

She nodded and he picked her up bridal style before flying away with her holding onto him and waving to their friends before looking around to see the Phantom Express waiting at the train station and a skeleton in a conductor's hat was looking at a watch, looking anxious. "Who's that?" She asked her boyfriend.

"T-Bone, the conductor," he replied before they landed and the skeleton turned to glare at Specter before his glare softened at seeing Angel.

"So you're the girl that has my caboose manager daydreaming all the time," he said, a grin coming to his face.

Angel looked at Specter, who had the grace to look sheepish and she giggled. "Oh, honey," she said, kissing his cheek before looking at T-Bone. "Is it alright if Specter and I have our date on the Phantom Express? I've heard so many great things about it from the boys and I hear you are the best conductor ever, T-Bone."

The flattery tickled T-Bone's ego and he smiled before taking off his hat and bowing to them. "Welcome aboard the Phantom Express," he said, gesturing for them to hop aboard.

Specter led the way to the caboose and he turned to grin at Angel. "You have quite the silver tongue," he said with a chuckle.

"You know it," she said with a wink and a grin before wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him. He held her close and returned the kiss, humming in pleasure before they parted and he smiled at her.

"Ready for lunch? I reserved a table in the dining car," he said.

Nodding, she let him lead her to the dining car and they met the Blaze Brothers along the way. "Hey, it's the girl," one of them said.

The other wolf-whistled. "You caught a beauty, Specter!" He said.

Specter blushed a bright red while Angel giggled and hooked her arm around his. "That's right, boys," she said. "He hooked me, I'm his, and you can't have me."

The brothers laughed heartily. "I like her already," the first one said.

"She's a keeper, Specter," the second one said before they both headed out and a waiter came and took the couple's order. Angel giggled as she saw her boyfriend was blushing.

"Those two are quite a pair, huh?" She asked.

"Yeah," he said. "Though you took their teasing well."

"Oh, I knew they were only teasing," she said. "But I meant it about you hooking me, me being yours, and that they couldn't have me."

Specter laughed at that. "Man, I love you, Angel," he said with a smile as their food came and they enjoyed a wonderful meal before he took her on a tour of the train. As they were enjoying themselves, they came to the head of the train and Mad Train gave a few toots.

"Hello, Mad Train," Angel said with a smile.

Specter smiled. "You know, when T-Bone had first become the conductor, Mad Train was taking a few passengers around the Isles on a tour when he hit some bumpy tracks and caused T-Bone to fall to pieces quite literally," he said with a chuckle.

"No, I didn't!" T-Bone denied, but a red blush came to his cheekbones, which made Angel giggle.

"Don't worry, T-Bone. We know you're a great conductor," she said, reaching forward and running her fingers playfully over his ribcage, making him jump and laugh as he went to squirm away, but Specter caught the skeleton's arms and held them up over his head, keeping him from getting away.

"Get him good, Angel. T-Bone can't stand having his ribs tickled," he said with a chuckle.

Giggling, the young woman tickled the skeleton's ribs, making him squeal with laughter as she didn't miss a single spot before she let him up and Specter let him go. The skeleton gave them both a playful glare. "You just wait," he said with a chuckle. "I'll get you both back."

"Oh, we don't doubt that," Angel said before turning to Specter as he took her hands and it was then she heard some music playing. Seeing what he had in mind, she nodded and let him lead her into a slow dance before he kissed her. She sank into his arms, to which he leaned her back gently into a dancing dip, still kissing her.

T-Bone chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. "Lovebirds," he said with a smile before going to check on the rest of the train.

Specter was only focused on Angel at the moment and she was only focused on him as they kissed before they parted for air and he held her close. She smiled. "My handsome ghost, forever," she said softly.

"My angel, forever," he said just as softly before they kissed again, lost in love.

* * *

**And that concludes "The Purest Angel". :) Thank you guys for reading and faving this story. :) If you want more Cuphead, check out my newest one: "Family Is The Key". :) **

**Please leave a review, but no flames! **

**GoldGuardian2418 **


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